Slow Sunday Scenes

I noticed that the Los Angeles Times this morning, Sunday, had printed a story of the top places to visit in California. A couple top ten lists populated by all the places that such lists always include - Yosemite Valley, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, some other frequent denizens of such lists - Catalina Island, Balboa Park, Griffith Observatory. Riverside's Cheech was maybe the rare, but very worthy, surprise. These type of lists always seem to be defined by a certain autocentrism, places that are easy to get to, places that are already well-known by people all around the world. Places that, by and large, are smack dab in the middle of the beaten path. I bet that if you were to ask folks who travel far and wide from the beaten path, their lists might look a little different. Or a lot different. 

I, for instance, can ride away from home in a morning, head up canyon to a little shaded stream-side dell, and be far more content there than i would be in the over-crowded splendor of Yosemite. Time after time, top ten lists just seem to perpetuate sameness, the common over the different. Well, whatever. I guess if your mode of getting around limits your list to road trip-able items, the list is going to look a certain way. Anyway, with those sort of thoughts in mind, the morning ride was a simple cruise around the colleges and the Village, i found myself tuned to little bits of uniqueness - new murals, new views. I may not have found anything extraordinary, but it was a pretty satisfying hour to beat the worst of the days' heat, and reaffirmed the idea that there is plenty worth seeing close by if you just open yourself to the idea. 

First top was the Pomona College Farm, where someone had left the doors open. I've been visiting long enough that i can remember when it was just an empty, unadorned shell

not to worry, there is not water in it anyway

the tin man

new seed library

left my bike to cool its wheels in this deeply shaded arbor and walked around  to look at the painted wheelbarrows, what was growing in the greenhouse, or out in the plots (lots of anise), a broken hose shooting a stream of water into the air, and pick up a few spiderwebs just for the heck of it...

then it was off to the Village, where i lingered only long enough for pics of a few of the people who know a better way to get around

the Zephyranthes candida at home are nowhere near ready to bloom, while these a city hall have gotten a head start on the growing season

the Benton Museum is closed for new exhibit installation, but i could look in the window to see how things are progressing

if you're passing through on a weekday morning, there is Cafe 47 at Pomona College, just off Stover Walk

and yes, i did find a couple murals new to me - this is a fragment of one, showing the red hand symbol for missing and murdered indigenous women